Educational Psychology Chapter 2 By: Angela Vaughan, Katrinka Newman, Heide Alston, & Diariece Jones

Outline Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development Four Stages of Cognitive Development Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Perspective The Social Sources of IndividualThinking The Development of Language

Summary of Chapter 2 This chapter examines the ideas of two cognitive developmental theorists: Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both of these philosophies are based on what students can learn and when they are ready to learn. Jean Piaget states that children have to pass through four stages of development to learn in life. Vygotsky feels that socialization is a direct influence of learning. He felt that community and parental influence greatly impacts the way, and when children learn. The chapter also discusses what role learning plays in language development.

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development StageApproximate AgeCharacteristics Sensorimotor0-2 years Begins to make use of imitation, memory, and thought. Preoperational2-7 years Gradually develops use of language and ability to think in symbolic form. Concrete operational7-11 years Able to solve concrete (hands-on) problems in logical fashion. Formal operational11-adult Able to solve abstract problems in logical fashion.

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Perspective Three main influences: 1.Human activities take place in cultural settings and cannot be understood apart from these settings. 2.The child’s cultural development appears later on the individual level between people and then inside the child. 3.The Zone of proximal development is the area where learning and development are possible.

Differences between Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s Theories of Egocentric or Private Speech PiagetVygotsky Developmental Significance Represents an inability to take the perspective of another & engage in reciprocal communication. Represents externalized thought; its function is to communicate with the self for the purpose of self- guidance & self-direction. Course of DevelopmentDeclines with age.Increases at younger ages & then gradually loses its audible quality to become internal verbal thought. Relationship to Social Speech Negative; least socially & cognitively mature children use more egocentric speech. Positive; private speech develops out of social interaction with others. Relationship to Environmental Contexts Increases with task difficulty. Private speech serves as self-guiding function in situations.

Implications of Piaget Theories for Teachers Students should act, manipulate, observe and then talk and/or write about what they have experienced. Concrete experiences provide the raw materials for thinking. Communicating with others makes students use, test, and sometimes change their thinking abilities.

Implications of Vygotsky’s Theories for Teachers Assisted learning, or guided participation in the classroom, requires scaffolding. Teachers can assist learning by adapting materials or problems to students’ current levels, demonstrating skills or thought processes, walking students through the steps of a complicated problem, modeling part of the problem, giving detailed feedback and allowing revisions, or asking questions to refocus students’ attention.

The Development of Language As children’s cognitive abilities develop, so does their language. Age RangeMilestones By age 1Says one to two words; recognizes name and imitates simple sounds, understands simple instructions Between 1 and 2Uses 5-20 words; two word sentences; vocabulary is growing Between 2 and 3Identify body parts; calls self me instead of by name; 450 word vocabulary; uses short sentences Between 3 and 4Tells a story; 4-5 word sentences; vocabulary about 1000 words Between 4 and 54-5 words sentences, uses past tense, vocabulary of 1500 words; ask why and who questions Between 5 and 65-6 word sentences, vocabulary of 10,000 words, knows spatial relations and opposites

Use of Language Heritage Language is the language spoken in the student’s home or by members of their family. Syntax is the order of words in phrases and sentences. Pragmatics are the rules of when and how to use language to be an effective communicator in a particular culture. Metalinguistic Awareness is the understanding of ones on use of language. Before children come to school, children know heritage language and syntax. It is the school’s responsibility to teach pragmatics and metalinguistic awareness.